She thought to herself, "Such a 'refined' person wouldn't be interested in a farm."

Gu Huaicheng adopted the air of an elder and began to lecture:

"Jingya, you're a college graduate, why don't you find a decent job? What college graduate still has to deal with the land? In a few years, when the economy develops, people will flock to the city, who will still be farming?"

Shen Jingyan replied calmly and respectfully, "Fourth Uncle, I don't think farming is a disreputable job. I come from the countryside and I know the land best. Even if fewer people farm in the future, people will still need to eat, and there will always be a market for grain."

Feng Ximan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

In her mind, girls who come to the city from the countryside would try their best to get rid of their rural identity and try to cover up the fact that they are from the countryside. But Shen Jingyan is different. She has no rusticity like a rural girl, but she always emphasizes that she comes from the countryside.

Gu Huaicheng chuckled, thinking Shen Jingyan was quite naive.

“Jingya, it’s good that you’re ambitious. But let me tell you, the most profitable industry in the future is still real estate. In my opinion, you should sell the farm and invest the money in real estate. I guarantee you’ll make a fortune.”

He remained silent and smiled, politely expressing his disagreement with his opinion.

I thought to myself, I've already made a fortune!

The real estate industry is indeed profitable, but the higher the profit, the higher the risk. There are quite a few people who have lost everything investing in real estate.

From Gu Huaicheng's words, Shen Jingyan gleaned some clues.

He works in real estate and returned to China hoping to make a fortune by taking advantage of the reforms. However, his financial situation might be limited, so he tried to subtly persuade her to join him and use her money to start a real estate business.

That's quite a clever plan.

"Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, Dad, Mom, Yun-ge, you guys keep chatting, I'm going to cook."

She didn't want to get entangled with Gu Huaicheng anymore.

Her attitude clearly indicates that she is no longer interested in the real estate industry.

Gu Zhiyun immediately stood up and said, "I'll help you."

Gu Huaicheng stopped him, saying, "Zhiyun, you're a graduate student. It's beneath you to be in the kitchen. Sit down. This is our first meeting, and I have so much to say to you!"

Shen Jingyan pressed Gu Zhiyun's shoulder to make him sit down and said, "Brother Yun, you don't need to help. You stay and talk to your fourth uncle and aunt."

Since it was their first meeting, Gu Zhiyun couldn't refuse Gu Huaicheng's request, so he reluctantly sat down.

He was a man of few words in public, and this was his first meeting with Gu Huaicheng. There was no real affection between them, so there wasn't much to say.

As soon as Shen Jingyan entered the kitchen, Gu Huaicheng said with great dissatisfaction:

"Zhiyun, look how you've spoiled your wife. She speaks so eloquently in front of the elders. And what kind of behavior is this, a young lady showing her face in public? What kind of husband studies while his wife runs a business? She should stay at home and take good care of you, like your aunt, arranging flowers, drinking coffee, and having gatherings with her girlfriends."

After hearing this, Gu Zhiyun was even less inclined to sit in front of Gu Huaicheng.

He stood up and stated clearly:

“Jingya is my wife. It’s only right that I love her and spoil her. I’m not asking anyone else to spoil me. Jingya has a good business sense. She can do whatever she wants. She has the freedom to do that. I’m not a rich kid. I can take care of myself. I don’t need her to serve me. She’s several years younger than me. I should be the one taking care of her. Her good friends are all college students. They all have proper jobs and don’t have time for flower arranging, coffee drinking, or parties.”

He finished speaking in one breath, startling Gu Huaicheng and Feng Ximan into exchanging bewildered glances.

"Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, please sit down. I'll go to the kitchen to help Jingya."

He finished speaking politely and casually, then turned and went into the kitchen.

Gu Zhiyun closed the kitchen door, out of sight, out of mind.

He hated it when others interfered in his and his young wife's lives, and he had no good impression of Gu Huaicheng and Feng Ximan, whom he had just met.

In the kitchen, Shen Jingyan was cutting a steak.

"Jingya, could you please not make the food too delicious?"

Shen Jingyan was taken aback: "What's wrong? Are there still people who complain about the food these days?"

Gu Zhiyun pouted and said, "I'm afraid my fourth uncle and the others will find it too delicious and refuse to leave our house."

Shen Jingyan couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Their purpose in coming here isn't simply to have a few meals, is it?"

Gu Zhiyun said, "It's probably for the money."

Shen Jingyan thought so too.

People don't visit temples without a reason.

If they were truly living a comfortable life in the United States, why would they need to return to China?

They keep bringing up the farm, isn't it just because they want to sell it and cash out?

We haven't talked about money yet, just because I just returned to China and I'm embarrassed to bring it up right away.

As time went on, Gu Huaicheng inevitably started talking about money.

He calmly decided to ignore it.

Shen Jingyan prepared a fusion dinner, featuring both Western-style steak and salad, as well as Chinese-style stir-fries and soups.

Feng Ximan, who was always picky, was looking forward to showing off her superiority at dinner, but then she saw steak, toast, and salad laid out on the table.

This was completely beyond her expectations.

She was about to be picky about the taste, thinking, how delicious could a steak made by a country girl be?

As a result, the first bite of steak shut her up.

The steak was tender, juicy, and flavorful, while retaining the fresh and chewy texture of beef, making it comparable to Michelin-starred restaurants in the United States.

The toast was soft and delicious, and the salad was refreshing and helped cut through the richness.

Even if she wanted to find fault, she wouldn't have a chance to do so.

After the meal, Gu Huaiqian escorted the couple to a nearby guesthouse.

Gu Huaicheng made his request very directly: "Huaiqian, you are most familiar with the capital. Your sister-in-law and I need a place to live, so we'll leave the house-finding to you. Our requirements aren't high: a two-story house with a small garden, convenient transportation, and a nice environment is all we need."

He only made demands, but didn't mention the rent.

In Beijing, to find a house that meets Gu Huaicheng's standards, the monthly rent would be over a hundred yuan.

Even for brothers, spending such a large sum of money to rent a house is a painful thing.

"Fourth Brother, you want to rent a house with a garden, the rent isn't cheap..."

Gu Huaicheng waved his hand dismissively and said, "Hey, if it's not cheap, it's not cheap. You can pay for it for me for a month first, and I'll pay you back once my remittance arrives."

Such a vague and unrealistic promise is simply an attempt to get something for nothing.

Shen Jingyan said with a smile, "Fourth Uncle, if you're not in a hurry to rent a house, then wait until your remittance arrives. Staying in a guesthouse for the next few days is just as good."

Gu Huaicheng's face darkened upon hearing this.

Shen Jingyan curled her lips into a disdainful smile.

She's broke, yet she wants to leech off her younger brother to maintain her glamorous life. Who will be the sucker then?